ALBUM REVIEW: Te Rā – Alien Weaponry

Oh what could have been for ALIEN WEAPONRY. At the end of the 2010s they were being tipped as the new TRIVIUM, having burst onto the scene with an abundance of youthful energy, serious music chops in the guise of debut album Tū and an originality through their New Zealand roots: the power of the Maori language. They were selling out venues across Europe and destroying festival stages and then…well, we all know what happened in 2020.

Their momentum brought to a shuddering halt, ALIEN WEAPONRY had to virtually start all over again and while 2021’s Tangaroa was well-received, the state of the world meant the young trio couldn’t capitalise on its release. But now, with everything open again, the guys are back with Te Rā, their third studio album which is out now via Napalm Records.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, so the saying goes, and ALIEN WEAPONRY have definitely stuck largely to their guns on Te Rā, but have made the odd tweaks to give a freshness to their sound. Myself To Blame is one such example, showing a more progressive, GOJIRA-tinged side to their style which isn’t hugely surprising given the two toured together a few years back. In addition, guitarist/vocalist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong brings a more heartfelt, vulnerable side to his delivery; it’s not a ballad by any means, but it’s a nice turn of mood in contrast to the more classic sounding tunes like single Mau Moko which is destined to be a fist-pumping banger for live shows.

Blackened Sky takes the progressive nature down a path more in line with MASTODON, but stops short of being sludgy, a smart move to keep the track in line with others. Then, there’s Taniwha, which is developing solidly enough – if a tad uninspired – but it gets a nitro boost from LAMB OF GOD frontman and long-time ALIEN WEAPONRY champion Randy Blythe, first with a menacing spoken word middle eight that feels detached and otherworldly, then with his trademark roar complimenting the band’s choral cleans well.

As ever, though, it’s the tracks where the Maori language takes centre stage that are most potent, helped by bassist Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmond‘s deep, low and sinister vocal tones that give the words such weight behind them. A language so tribal in nature needs to be relayed in a manner befitting its strength and Tūranga has it nailed, allowing the thrash-like Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea to come alive as the story of a weather god that conjures natural disasters is told and the groove-laden Ponaturi to explode with fire and fury.

However, there are a couple of weaker moments: Hanging By A Thread is a little repetitive and struggles to maintain the quality of the opening three tracks that precede it and, surprisingly, the closer Te Kore misses the mark too. In Maori, the title translates to ‘The Void’ and the lyrics talk about a ‘great nothingness’ state within the universe’s creation story. It could have been stellar, but it feels rushed, ending in a shade over two minutes and bringing Te Rā to a somewhat anti-climactic end.

When this album is at its best, it is an unstoppable juggernaut of culture, class and crush, and ALIEN WEAPONRY have taken a significant step towards regaining the momentum they had in a pre-pandemic world. There is still a bit more to go, but they’re definitely much closer than ever before.

Rating: 7/10

Te Rā is out now via Napalm Records.

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